KARACHI:
How many times have you watched a Hollywood film that has a skimpily dressed female character just for the sake of entertainment? Has it ever crossed your mind that the woman has little to contribute to the main plot but is still plugged in to as many scenes as possible? The entertainment industry can be said to objectify the role of a woman.
This was the crux of the film Miss Representation directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom that was screened at T2F on Thursday. The screening was followed by a discussion moderated by Slum Child author Bina Shah.
When asked if the movie’s content was relevant to Pakistani society Shah said, “Why yes, it is. The fact that all of it is happening in a very developed country of the world is heartbreaking.” She then added “With the media gaining power in Pakistan, it is best if one starts discussing these issues before they get out of hand.”
The audience at T2F was shocked to see how women are suppressed in the US. “I was blown away when I first saw this movie. I only thought things were bad in Pakistan. I now know the condition is even worse in the US,” said Shah.
Miss Representation starts off by showing what one would call soft-porn. It highlights how women are viewed as an object of pleasure and how women allow themselves to be objectified and not only lose their confidence but also lower their ability of being seen as smart and politically active. This further widens the power scale between the two sexes. The woman becomes the submissive gender and loses her chances to be seen as a power icon.
But having said all that, one really feels the urge to know about the journey of authoritative women like Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice — women who are holding higher offices — or newsmakers like Katie Couric and Rachel Maddow — who believe they can change a man’s world.
Sadly for Rice, “Washington DC is pretty male” whereas for Clinton, she has been dubbed a “b**ch” several times during the last election campaign.
The debate concluded over the thought that the media has always been in the hands of men and breaking the “glass-ceiling” effect, even in today’s world, requires hard work and courage. “A youthful woman is known for her beauty and her desirability because all that matters are her looks,” Shah later told the audience. “We have traded our values for a globalised world where beauty sells.”
Published in The Express Tribune, September 8th, 2012.
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COMMENTS (9)
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@damein: Right, but the story is about how media is manipulating and what it's consequences. And if we don't understand it now then it will be another great problem here. There is no need anymore to tell others what's going on here, we all know it very well. Thank you
@ humaira---@ hafiz
i really don't give a rs a what the yanks do to their women, its their business. As if they are listening or care. Hafiz sb yes, there is no comparison at all. We should be focusing on how we treat our women, denying them education, a measure of economic Independence by holding a job, marrying them to the Quran, Karo Kari, Wani, Watta satta, Putting a tent on them in the name of Islam while conveniently forgetting Islam when it comes to forking out inheritance....yes i so agree Humaira the list can go on and on.
@Haroon Khizri: How is a well educated female working in a multinational company an illusion of an independent woman? Or any of the millions of other women working in all corners of the workforce with varying levels of education an illusion to independence? That's something easterners tell themselves to make themselves feel better.
While I agree exploiting women is present everywhere, the word choice comes to mind. A woman can CHOOSE to be a sex object (tragically some do, whether a result of low self esteem or low self worth, or whatever else), or she can choose to be an educated, independent and respected working woman who won't flaunt her body or exploit her sexuality for praise, rather simply uses her intelligence and skills to get ahead. The word choice is the key word. Eastern cultures have not progressed enough to be kind to women who utilize this freedom (or fight to obtain this freedom).
@Humaira: way way better than we do? wrong is always wrong, whether in low level or high. Don't know why we compare on evil to evil other than evil to good? and yes, our society is cruel but towards both sides, men and women. And this is so because of the low level of education and awareness. But the story is about something else which is needed to be address.
This world is essentially is male society The independent women in west is just illusion. It is exploitation in different name. Our society is just primitive living on old age promises. For complete equal society a long distance to be covered
Haroon
“I was blown away when I first saw this movie. I only thought things were bad in Pakistan. I now know the condition is even worse in the US,” said Shah
I fell off my chair after reading this. Typecasting women in movies is not the same as throwing acid on their faces, raping them, cutting off their noses, forcibly converting them to Islam, hiding them behind a Hijab, eve teasing them in the bus stop, torturing them for not bringing in dowry...the list is endless.
Believe it or not....western civilization treats their women way way better than we do.
Good but somehow it's late. I saw this documentary about one and a half year ago. It's too sad that we watch and promote these things rarely. Actually we don't know the meaning of modernization and blindly copy the things of others without analyzing. Much appreciated and I hope that if we'll aware our generations on the basis of logic then we'll surely save this world from the cruel hands.